New Releases by Julia Alvarez

Literary icon Julia Alvarez, the international bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies , returns with an inventive and emotional novel about storytelling that will be an instant classic.Alma Cruz, the celebrated writer at the heart of The Cemetery of Untold Stories , doesn’t want to end up like her friend, a novelist who fought so long and hard to finish a book that it threatened her sanity. So when Alma inherits a small plot of land in the Dominican Republic, her homeland, she has the beautiful idea of turning it into a place to bury her untold stories — literally. She creates a graveyard for the manuscript drafts and revisions, and the characters whose lives she tried and failed to bring to life and who still haunt her.Alma wants her characters to rest in peace. But they have other ideas, and the cemetery becomes a mysterious sanctuary for their true narratives. Filomena, a local woman hired as the groundskeeper, becomes a sympathetic listener as Alma’s characters unspool their secrets. Among them: Bienvenida, the abandoned wife of dictator Rafael Trujillo, consigned to oblivion by history, and Manuel Cruz, a doctor who fought in the Dominican underground and escaped to the United States.The characters defy their author: they talk back to her and talk to one another behind her back, rewriting and revising themselves. The Cemetery of Untold Stories asks: Whose stories get to be told, and whose buried? Finally, Alma finds the meaning she and her characters yearn for in the everlasting vitality of stories.Readers of Isabel Allende’s Violeta and Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead will devour Alvarez’s extraordinary new novel about beauty and authenticity, and will be reminded that the stories of our lives are never truly finished, even at the end.

La inigualable Julia Alvarez, autora de En el tiempo de las mariposas y De cómo las muchachas García perdieron el acento, regresa con una extraordinaria e íntima novela que nos recuerda que las historias de vida jamás están realmente acabadas. Ni siquiera cuando llega el final. **Uno de los libros más esperados del año según el New York Times, Washington Post, Today.com, Goodreads, Literary Hub, BookPage, BBC.com, and Zibby Mag** Alma Cruz ha decidido ponerle punto final a su carrera de escritora, pero teme acabar como su amiga, una exitosa novelista arrastrada a la locura por un libro que jamás terminó de escribir. Por eso, cuando hereda un modesto terreno en República Dominicana, se le ocurre sepultar allí sus decenas de manuscritos inconclusos. Quiere que descansen en paz en la misma tierra donde yacen sus raíces. Pero a diferencia de Alma, los protagonistas de sus relatos aún tienen mucho por decir, y encuentran en Filomena, la reservada cuidadora del cementerio, una interlocutora empática y atenta. Al compartir sus historiasBienvenida, la exesposa olvidada del dictador Rafael Trujillo; Manuel Cruz, un médico exiliado durante el régimen, y la misma Filomena convertirán el cementerio en un lugar mágico.Un santuario donde quienes han sido silenciados hallarán el sentido que anhelan en la vitalidad imperecedera de los cuentos que aún quedan por contar. Y colorín colorado... —— Literary icon Julia Alvarez, bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies, shares an inventive and emotional novel about storytelling and her homeland—the Dominican Republic—that Kirkus Reviews calls a "rich and moving saga" and Shelf Awareness calls "a lyrical thought-provoking meditation on truth, complicated family narratives, and the question of whose stories get told." **Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by the New York Times, Washington Post, Today.com, Goodreads, Literary Hub, BookPage, BBC.com, and Zibby Mag** Alma Cruz has decided to end her writing career, but she fears she'll end up like her friend, a successful novelist driven to madness by a book she never finished writing. So when she inherits a modest plot of land in the Dominican Republic, she decides to bury her dozens of unfinished manuscripts there. She wants them to rest in peace in the same land where her roots are. But unlike Alma, the protagonists of her stories still have plenty to say, and they find in Filomena, the reserved caretaker of the cemetery, an empathetic and attentive interlocutor. By sharing their stories, Bienvenida, the forgotten ex-wife of dictator Rafael Trujillo; Manuel Cruz, a doctor exiled during the regime, and Filomena herself will turn the cemetery into a magical place, a sanctuary where those who have been silenced will find the meaning they yearn for in the imperishable vitality of the untold stories. Y colorín colorado...

Una extraordinaria e ingeniosa novela sobre la narración de historias y lo que pasa con las que nunca contamos, de la querida autora bestseller de En el tiempo de las mariposas y De cómo las muchachas García perdieron el acento. Cementerio de las historias no contadas es la historia de Alma Cruz, una escritora que se acerca al final de su carrera y de su vida, y no quiere terminar como una colega y mentora suya, quien por mucho tiempo luchó por acabar una novela que nunca terminó y casi la enloquece. Después de la muerte de sus ancianos padres, Alma y sus hermanas heredan pequeños terrenos en la República Dominicana. Alma elige el más grande, que ninguna de las otras quieres por su supuesta ubicación indeseable y su mal estado. Se le ocurre la hermosa idea de convertirlo en un lugar para enterrar las historias que no ha compartido: manuscritos, páginas, borradores, revisiones, personajes y vidas sobre las que había trabajado, incluso por años, pero que nunca consiguió terminar. Ahora desea dejarlas descansar en paz. Alma necesita ayuda con su plan, de modo que Brava, una amiga artista que "lo capta" (a diferencia de sus hermanas), se le une. El cementerio se convierte en un jardín de esculturas: las lápidas que Brava diseña para cada trama. Filomena, una mujer de la localidad y una de las pocas que gana acceso al cementerio contando sus propios relatos al intercomunicador que abre el portón, se convierte en la celadora, y tanto su historia como la su hermana Perla se vuelven centrales en la narración. Esta es una novela en la que las distintas historias desarrollan tentáculos que se entrelazan con los de otras, se insinúan de manera mutua y crean nuevas historias en el proceso. Las circunstancias de la propia vida de Filomena la convierten en la comprensiva escucha que las historias de Alma siguen necesitando mientras prolongan su inmutable deseo de ser contadas, encontrar un sentido y tener un final. A wonderfully inventive novel about telling stories and what happens to the stories we leave untold, from the beloved and bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Untold is the story of a writer as she reaches the end of her career and her life. Alma Cruz doesn't want to end up like a fellow author and mentor whose cautionary tale she tells, one who fought so long and hard with a novel she couldn't complete that it threatened her sanity. After the death of Alma's elderly parents, she and her sisters each inherit small plots of land in the Dominican Republic. Alma chooses the biggest one, which none of the others want because of its supposedly undesirable location and its state of dishevelment. She has the beautiful idea of turning it into a place to bury her untold stories, the manuscripts and pages, drafts, revisions--the characters and lives she worked on, sometimes for years, but could never get quite right. To let them rest in peace. Alma needs help with her plan, so Brava, an artist friend who "gets it" (unlike Alma's perplexed sisters), jumps on board--the cemetery becomes a sculpture garden, Brava's work the custom markers for each plot. Filomena, a local and one of the few who gains entry to the cemetery by telling her own stories to an intercom that opens the gate, is soon the caretaker, and her story and the story of her sister Perla become central to the narrative. This is a novel in which stories develop tentacles that entwine other stories, insinuating themselves one to the other, and making new stories in the process.

“Un libro importante…Emocionalmente sobrecogedor. Alvarez nos hace un regalo cargado de rara generosidad y coraje.”—The San Diego Union-Tribune Ellas eran lasa cuatro hermanas Mirabal—símbolos de una esperanza desafiante en un país ensombrecido por la dictadura y la desesperación. Sacrificaron sus vidas, seguras, y confortables, en nombre de la libertad. Ellas eran “las Mariposas,” y en esta novela extraordinaria, Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa, y Dedé nos cuentan, a través de las décadas, sus propias historias. Desde anécdotas sobre lazos para el pelo y secretos enamoramientos al contrabando de armas y las torturas en la cárcel. Con ellas aprendemos los horrores cotidianos de la vida bajo el dictador dominicano Trujillo. A través del arte y la magia de la aclamada e imaginativa novelista Julia Alvarez, la dramática y vibrante vida de estas martirizadas mariposas toma forma en una historia cálida, brillante y desgarradora en la que se nos muestra el incalculable coste humano derivado de la oppresión política.

La bellezza, la vivacità e l'indomabile fragilità delle quattro sorelle Mirabal, che avevano meritato il nome di "farfalle" nella resistenza clandestina, passate alla storia come le eroine della lotta di liberazione dominicana contro la terribile dittatura del generale Trujillo e ancora oggi ricordate in tutta l'America Latina nella "Giornata internazionale per l'eliminazione della violenza sulle donne". Nate in una famiglia benestante e colta, le quattro ragazze rimasero sempre legate da un affetto complesso e profondo, nonostante le notevoli diversità d'indole e destino: la ribelle Minerva sceglie giovanissima di essere l'avvocato degli oppressi, Patria la devota arriva alla guerriglia per le vie imperscrutabili della fede religiosa, la frivola e romantica María Teresa s'impegna nella causa per amore, mentre Dedé, l'unica sopravvissuta e la meno incline all'impegno politico e alla rivolta, narrando molti anni dopo la loro polifonica storia, si riunisce finalmente e senza riserve alle sorelle. Dal romanzo è stato tratto un film con Salma Hayek nel ruolo di Minerva.

Bestselling novelist (How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents) and children''s (The Tia Lola Stories) author Julia Alvarez''s new picture book is a beautifully crafted poem for children that gently addresses the emotional side of death. The book asks, "When somebody dies, where do they go? / Do they go where the wind goes when it blows? ... Do they wink back at me when I wish on a star? Do they whisper, ''You''re perfect, just as you are''? ..." Illustrated by Vermont woodcut artist, Sabra Field, Where Do They Go? is a beautiful and comforting meditation on death, asking questions young readers might have about what happens to those they love after they die. A Spanish-language edition of the book, ¿Donde va a parar?, is available in paperback.

"Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of the la lengua nativa - the mother tongue. Simple

Julia Alvarez’s heartwarming novel—now in Spanish. De cómo tía Lola vino de visita a quedarse, una novela juvenil de Julia Alvarez, cuenta la deliciosa historia de una familia dominicana, instalada en Vermont, que recibe la visita de una pariente muy especial. La irresistible, incontrolable e incluso mágica tía Lola transforma la vida de su familia. Sombreros, pañuelos, vestidos alegres, tacones, maracas, un tambor par alas fiestas, café, hierbabuena, orégano, anís, hojas de guanábana, ajíes…, su alegría invade la casa y—poco a poco—a todo el pueblo. Un relato rico, cálido y lleno de humor, que nos llevará a sonar con la posibilidad de tener una tía tan entrañable como tía Lola.

Tia Lola is going back to school in this Spanish translation of How Tia Lola Learned to Teach! Tía Lola recibe la invitación para enseñar español en la escuela primaria de sus sobrinos, pero Miguel no está de acuerdo. Le ha costado mucho adaptarse a su nueva escuela en Vermont y, a pesar de las indudables buenas intenciones de tía Lola, él piensa que su presencia no hará sino emporar las cosas. Por otro lado, su hermana Juanita se muere de ganas de que sus compañeros conozcan a la tía, con sus coloridos vestidos. En cuestión de pocos días, la tía estara organizando una búsqueda del tesoro en español y una fiesta de carnaval en la escuela. ¿Querrá Miguel unirse a la diversión? ¿Podrá Juanita tener los pies y la mente en la tierra para guiar a sus compañeros hacia triunfo en la búsquda del tesoro?

Julia Alvarez’s heartwarming novel—now in Spanish. De cómo tía Lola vino de visita a quedarse, una novela juvenil de Julia Alvarez, cuenta la deliciosa historia de una familia dominicana, instalada en Vermont, que recibe la visita de una pariente muy especial. La irresistible, incontrolable e incluso mágica tía Lola transforma la vida de su familia. Sombreros, pañuelos, vestidos alegres, tacones, maracas, un tambor par alas fiestas, café, hierbabuena, orégano, anís, hojas de guanábana, ajíes…, su alegría invade la casa y—poco a poco—a todo el pueblo. Un relato rico, cálido y lleno de humor, que nos llevará a sonar con la posibilidad de tener una tía tan entrañable como tía Lola.

After their olive crop fails, Maria fears that her family will have to abandon their farm on the new island colony. Then, one night she dreams of a mysterious beautiful lady shrouded by trees with branches hung with hundreds of little suns. They are oranges like the ones Maria''s parents once ate in their homeland, Valencia, Spain. That very day Maria and her family plant the seeds that soon yield a magnificent orange grove and save the farm. But who was the mysterious lady who appeared in her dream and will Maria ever find her again?

75 Poems by the Author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies The works of this award-winning poet and novelist are rich with the language and influences of two cultures: those of the Dominican Republic of her childhood and the America of her youth and adulthood. They have shaped her writing just as they have shaped her life. In these seventy-five autobiographical poems, Alvarez’s clear voice sings out in every line. Here, in the middle of her life, she looks back as a way of understanding and celebrating the woman she has become. Don''t miss Alvarez’s new novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories, available now!

After Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family is forced to hire migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn’t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences? In a novel full of hope, but no easy answers, Julia Alvarez weaves a beautiful and timely story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, internationally bestselling author and literary icon Julia Alvarez''s In the Time of the Butterflies is "beautiful, heartbreaking and alive ... a lyrical work of historical fiction based on the story of the Mirabal sisters, revolutionary heroes who had opposed and fought against Trujillo." (Concepción de León, New York Times) Don''t miss Alvarez’s new novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories, available now! It is November 25, 1960, and three beautiful sisters have been found near their wrecked Jeep at the bottom of a 150-foot cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The official state newspaper reports their deaths as accidental. It does not mention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it explain that the sisters were among the leading opponents of Gen. Rafael Leónidas Trujillo’s dictatorship. It doesn’t have to. Everybody knows of Las Mariposas—the Butterflies. In this extraordinary novel, the voices of all four sisters--Minerva, Patria, María Teresa, and the survivor, Dedé--speak across the decades to tell their own stories, from secret crushes to gunrunning, and to describe the everyday horrors of life under Trujillo’s rule. Through the art and magic of Julia Alvarez’s imagination, the martyred Butterflies live again in this novel of courage and love, and the human costs of political oppression. "Alvarez helped blaze the trail for Latina authors to break into the literary mainstream, with novels like In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents winning praise from critics and gracing best-seller lists across the Americas."—Francisco Cantú, The New York Times Book Review "This Julia Alvarez classic is a must-read for anyone of Latinx descent." —Popsugar.com "A gorgeous and sensitive novel . . . A compelling story of courage, patriotism and familial devotion." —People "Shimmering . . . Valuable and necessary." —Los Angeles Times "A magnificent treasure for all cultures and all time.” —St. Petersburg Times "Alvarez does a remarkable job illustrating the ruinous effect the 30-year dictatorship had on the Dominican Republic and the very real human cost it entailed."—Cosmopolitan.com

Named A Great American Novel by The Atlantic! From the international bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies and Afterlife, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is "poignant...powerful... Beautifully captures the threshold experience of the new immigrant, where the past is not yet a memory." (The New York Times Book Review) Don''t miss Alvarez’s new novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories, available now! Acclaimed writer Julia Alvarez’s beloved first novel gives voice to four sisters as they grow up in two cultures. The García sisters—Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofía—and their family must flee their home in the Dominican Republic after their father’s role in an attempt to overthrow brutal dictator Rafael Trujillo is discovered. They arrive in New York City in 1960 to a life far removed from their existence in the Caribbean. In the wondrous but not always welcoming U.S.A., their parents try to hold on to their old ways as the girls try find new lives: by straightening their hair and wearing American fashions, and by forgetting their Spanish. For them, it is at once liberating and excruciating to be caught between the old world and the new. Here they tell their stories about being at home—and not at home—in America. "Alvarez helped blaze the trail for Latina authors to break into the literary mainstream, with novels like In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents winning praise from critics and gracing best-seller lists across the Americas."—Francisco Cantú, The New York Times Book Review "A clear-eyed look at the insecurity and yearning for a sense of belonging that are a part of the immigrant experience . . . Movingly told." —The Washington Post Book World

After Tyler''s father is injured in a tractor accident, his family hires migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn’ t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences? In a novel full of hope, but no easy answers, Julia Alvarez weaves a beautiful and timely story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.

Renowned Latina author Julia Alvarez recreates the legend of Dominican folk character La Vieja Belen in this delighful bilingual rhyming story, beautifully illustrated by Dominican artist Ruddy Nuñez. Alvarez''s retelling keeps the magic of the traditional account while contributing a down-to-earth, timely moral: "Of all the gifts you can give, your time is the best."

Autora del bestseller De cómo las muchachas García perdieron el acento y una finalista del Circulo Nacional de Críticos Literarios “Una exploración de un ritual exuberante y decisivo en la vida moderna de los latinos… Como autora de esta travesía, Julia Alvarez es una guía extraordinaria.”—The Seattle Times La fiesta de quince años de las muchachas latinas o “la quinceañera” como se le conoce en los Estados Unidos, se ha convertido en una tendencia singularmente americana. Esta espléndida fiesta de vestidos largos y elegantes, pasteles de varias capas, limusinas y banquetes extravagantes, a menudo es tan costosa como un baile de graduación o una boda. Sin embargo, muchas jóvenes latinas sienten que tienen derecho a esto rito de iniciación, que señala el momento en que se vuelven mujeres, y esperan que no se escatime ningún gasto, ni siquiera entre las familias de escasos recursos. La aclamada escritora Julia Alvarez explora la historia y la relevancia cultural de cumplir los “quince” años en los Estados Unidos, y usa este acontecimiento como un lente a través del cual examinar el proceso de cambio por el que está pasando la mujer latina en los EE.UU. Sus observaciones sobre una fiesta de quince años en Queens, así como entrevistas con otras quinceañeras y los recuerdos de su propia experiencia como inmigrante joven, componen un cuidadoso y entretenido retrato de un fenómeno multicultural en rápido crecimiento, así como una perspectiva única de un Estados Unidos multicultural. “[Alvarez] posa una mirada crítica sobre mitos que están muy arraigados…cada página es un canto de amor a los lazos culturales que vinculan a generaciones de mujeres provenientes de un grupo diversos de países.”—Chicago Sun-Times “Fascinante, ampliamente documentado.”—The Washington Post “La sinceridad con la que Alvarez hace frente a la experiencia de haber vivido entre dos culturas resulta cautivadora.”—Entertainment Weekly

MILLY KAUFMAN IS an ordinary American teenager living in Vermont—until she meets Pablo, a new student at her high school. His exotic accent, strange fashion sense, and intense interest in Milly force her to confront her identity as an adopted child from Pablo’s native country. As their relationship grows, Milly decides to undertake a courageous journey to her homeland and along the way discovers the story of her birth is intertwined with the story of a country recovering from a brutal history. Beautifully written by reknowned author Julia Alvarez, Finding Miracles examines the emotional complexity of familial relationships and the miracles of everyday life.

Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, a “phenomenal, indispensable” (USA Today) exploration of the Latina “sweet fifteen” celebration, by the bestselling author of How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of Butterflies The quinceañera, a celebration of a Latina girl’s fifteenth birthday, has become a uniquely American trend. This lavish party with ball gowns, multi-tiered cakes, limousines, and extravagant meals is often as costly as a prom or a wedding. But many Latina girls feel entitled to this rite of passage, marking a girl’s entrance into womanhood, and expect no expense to be spared, even in working-class families. Acclaimed author Julia Alvarez explores the history and cultural significance of the “quince” in the United States, and the consequences of treating teens like princesses. Through her observations of a quince in Queens, interviews with other quince girls, and the memories of her own experience as a young immigrant, Alvarez presents a thoughtful and entertaining portrait of a rapidly growing multicultural phenomenon, and passionately emphasizes the importance of celebrating Latina womanhood.

Latina novelist Alma Huebner is suffering from writer''s block and is years past the completion date for yet another of her bestselling family sagas. Her husband, Richard, works for a humanitarian organization dedicated to the health and prosperity of developing countries and wants her help on an extended AIDS assignment in the Dominican Republic. But Alma begs off joining him: the publisher is breathing down her neck. She promises to work hard and follow him a bit later. The truth is that Alma is seriously sidetracked by a story she has stumbled across. It''s the story of a much earlier medical do-gooder, Spaniard Francisco Xavier Balmis, who in 1803 undertook to vaccinate the populations of Spain''s American colonies against smallpox. To do this, he required live "carriers" of the vaccine. Of greater interest to Alma is Isabel Sendales y Gómez, director of La Casa de Expósitos, who was asked to select twenty-two orphan boys to be the vaccine carriers. She agreed— with the stipulation that she would accompany the boys on the proposed two-year voyage. Her strength and courage inspire Alma, who finds herself becoming obsessed with the details of Isabel''s adventures. This resplendent novel-within-a-novel spins the disparate tales of two remarkable women, both of whom are swept along by machismo. In depicting their confrontation of the great scourges of their respective eras, Alvarez exposes the conflict between altruism and ambition.

Anita de la Torre es una niña de 12 años que vive en la República Dominicana en los años sesenta. La policía secreta ha comenzado a atemorizar a su familia porque se sospecha que están en contra del dictador, General Trujillo.

The Dominican legend of the ciguapas, creatures who lived in underwater caves and whose feet were on backward so that humans couldn''t follow their footprints, is reinvented by renowned author Julia Alvarez. Although the ciguapas fear humans, Guapa, a bold and brave ciguapa, can''t help but be curious--especially about a boy she sees on the nights when she goes on the land to hunt for food. When she gets too close to his family and is discovered, she learns that some humans are kind. Even though she escapes unharmed and promises never to get too close to a human again, Guapa still sneaks over to the boy''s house some evenings, where she finds a warm pastelito in the pocket of his jacket on the clothesline.

In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year-old Anita learns that her family is involved in the underground movement to end the bloody rule of the dictator, General Trujillo.

A story based on Dominican folklore, about the ciguapas, a tribe of beautiful underwater people whose feet are attached backwards, with their toes pointing in the direction from which they have come.

With lyric simplicity, A Cafecito Story tells the complex tale of a social beverage that bridges nations and unites people in trade, in words, in birds, and in love.".

"Original and illuminating."—The New York Times Book Review In her most ambitious work since In the Time of Butterflies, Julia Alvarez tells the story of a woman whose poetry inspired one Caribbean revolution and of her daughter whose dedication to teaching strengthened another. Camila Henriquez Urena is about to retire from her longtime job teaching Spanish at Vassar College. Only now as she sorts through family papers does she begin to know the woman behind the legend of her mother, the revered Salome Urena, who died when Camila was three. In stark contrast to Salome, who became the Dominican Republic''s national poet at the age of seventeen, Camila has spent most of her life trying not to offend anybody. Her mother dedicated her life to educating young women to give them voice in their turbulent new nation; Camila has spent her life quietly and anonymously teaching the Spanish pluperfect to upper-class American girls with no notion of revolution, no knowledge of Salome Urena. Now, in 1960, Camila must choose a final destination for herself. Where will she spend the rest of her days? News of the revolution in Cuba mirrors her own internal upheaval. In the process of deciding her future, Camila uncovers the truth of her mother''s tragic personal life and, finally, finds a place for her own passion and commitment. Julia Alvarez has won a large and devoted audience by brilliantly illuminating the history of modern Caribbean America through the personal stories of its people. As a Latina, as a poet and novelist, and as a university professor, Julia Alvarez brings her own experience to this exquisite story. Julia Alvarez’s new novel, Afterlife, is available now.

“Julia Alvarez has suitcases full of history (public and private), trunks full of insights into what it means to be a Latina in the United States, bags full of literary wisdom.” —Los Angeles Times From the internationally acclaimed author of the bestselling novels In the Time of the Butterflies and How the García Girls Lost Their Accents comes a rich and revealing work of nonfiction capturing the life and mind of an artist as she knits together the dual themes of coming to America and becoming a writer. The twenty-four confessional, evocative essays that make up Something to Declare are divided into two parts. “Customs” includes Alvarez’s memories of her family’s life in the Dominican Republic, fleeing from Trujillo’s dictatorship, and arriving in America when she was ten years old. She examines the effects of exile--surviving the shock of New York City life; yearning to fit in; training her tongue (and her mind) to speak English; and watching the Miss America pageant for clues about American-style beauty. The second half, “Declarations,” celebrates her passion for words and the writing life. She lets us watch as she struggles with her art--searching for a subject for her next novel, confronting her characters, facing her family’s anger when she invades their privacy, reflecting on the writers who influenced her, and continually honing her craft. The winner of the National Medal of Arts for her extraordinary storytelling, Julia Alvarez here offers essays that are an inspiring gift to readers and writers everywhere. “This beautiful collection of essays . . . traces a process of personal reconciliation with insight, humor, and quiet power.” —San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle “Reading Julia Alvarez’s new collection of essays is like curling up with a glass of wine in one hand and the phone in the other, listening to a bighearted, wisecracking friend share the hard-earned wisdom about family, identity, and the art of writing.” —People Julia Alvarez’s new novel, Afterlife, is available now.